Trousers associated ground engaging improved support for seat engagement by wearer



Nov. 10, 1970 R. N. DOLAN TROUSERS ASSOCIATED GROUND ENGAGING IMPROVEDSUPPORT FOR SEAT ENGAGEMENT BY WEARER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 17,1969 nvvhvfm ROBERT MDOLA/V TORNEYS R. N. DOLAN GROUN Nov. 10, 19703,538,512

' TROUSERS ASSOCIATED D ENGAGING IMPROVED SUPPORT FOR SEAT ENGAGEMENT BYWEARER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 17, 1969 FIG] uvvs/vroz? ROBERT MDOLA/V [HEM M United States Patent US. Cl. 2-227 13 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE A pair of trousers has a tubular length of cloth sewn tothe inside thereof along the outside seam and extending from cufi towaist band. A strap harness having a support seat strap for the seat ofthe wearer is joined at each of its ends by a loop through which isinserted the respective leg of the wearer. An elongated support memberjointed at the knee is inserted in each of the tubes of cloth sewn tothe trousers legs and it has a flexible strap at its top that isdetachably connected to a fastener on the waist portion of the trousers.To the top of each elongated support member a clip on the end of theseat support strap of the harness is detachably attached to suspend theseat support. The elongated support member has a tubular guide member atits top and to which the flexible strap and the clip are attached. Thistubular guide member has an upper tube slidably extending downwardlytherefrom and a lower tube pivotally abutting the upper tube at the kneejoint. The upper tube has adjacent its top end a control pin extendingtransversely therefrom and out through an elongated slot in the guidemember. Thus, the control pin which is accessible in a vertical slotadjacent the outside seam in the trousers leg can be used to push theupper tube down and up in its guide member and means operated by theupper tube upon downward movement of the same to position a locking pininside said tubes in the knee joint to provide a rigid support.

This is a continuation-in-part application of my copending applicationSer. No. 711,576, filed Mar. 8, 1968, U.S. Pat. No. 3,451,064, June 24,1969.

An object of the invention is to provide a pair of trousers with atelescopic and pivotal intermediate its length elongated support for anelongated pocket in each leg and which suspends at its upper end a seatharness Within the trousers so that the telescopic elongated support maybe moved to a position wherein its pivot joint becomes a rigid joint tosupport the weight of the wearer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support rod assembly foreach leg of the trousers that has a lower tube and an upper tube keptpivoted end to end by an internal cable that connects with a springpositioned pin within the lower tube that can be so relatively movedagainst its spring as to make a rigid joint between the tubes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a support in the leg ofa trousers that is pivotal at the knee when not in use and which isconcealed fully within the trousers leg when not in supporting use.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference is had tothe drawings, the description and claims which follow.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the support harness and its attachmentto the elongated support member;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a pair of trousers as worn 3,538,512Patented Nov. 10, 1970 ice by a wearer with the support arrangement ofFIG. 1 therein as in walking;

FIG. 3 is a view like FIG. 2 with the elongated supports activated andthe wearer placing his weight on the supports which are now groundengaging;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of one of the elongated support members as itpivots intermediate its length;

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view along line 55 of FIG. 4 of thesupport member on an enlarged scale in position for pivot;

FIG. 6 is a view like FIG. 5 with the upper tube moved down to activatethe rigid joint between the upper and lower tube members; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the harness attachment clip at the top ofan elongated seat support strap and having a fragment of a suspensionstrap extending up wardly therefrom.

Throughout the description, like reference numbers refer to similarparts.

A pair of trousers with the harness and support members associatedtherewith is shown at 10 in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The pair of trousers 11 has a waist portion 11a and a customary belt 11band a side pocket 15. Each trousers leg has a vertically extendingtubular pocket 12 made of cloth sewn or otherwise secured to the insidealong the outer side seam. A slot 13 that extends vertically in the sideadjacent the top of the tubular pocket 12 provides access thereto forinsertion of an elongated support 20 to be described. An opening 14fitted with a zipper closure extends vertically and spaced slightlybelow the waist portion 11a to provide access to the adjacent inside ofthe waist portion for a purpose as will be described. Each trousers leghas a knee portion 16 and a cult 17.

Slidably received through the vertically extending opening 13 and sliddownwardly into the tubular pocket 12 in each trousers leg is anelongated support generally indicated at 20. This elongated support hasan upper tube sleeve guide 21 that has a vertically extending slot 21atherein and a horizontally extending joining lock slot 2112 at its lowerend. A cap 22 having an open lower end is received over the upper end ofsleeve guide 21 and has an upwardly projecting loop 22a thereon to whichis attached a flexible suspension strap 24 having a fastener 25 at itstop end portion. Extending transversely through the upper end of cap 22and the sleeve guide 21 is a pivotally mounted harness support pin 23.This pin has a spool-like head 23a at one end that has a radiallyextending lock bar 23b.

A harness generally indicated at 40 has a flexible seat support 4-1 onwhich the wearer will sit as will be explained. A right leg loop 42 anda left leg loop 43 are attached to adjacent the ends of seat support 41.The ends of seat support 41 are secured to a slot 44a in a harness clip44. This clip has a key role slot 44b therein with the larger enddownward. This clip 44 has its key hole slot received over thespool-like head 23a of the harness support pin 23 so that the harness 40is suspended from the tops of the elongated supports 20. To lock theclip 44 on the head 23a of pin 23, the lock bar 23b and pin are rotatedso that the lock bar 231) extends vertically downward as shown in FIG.7.

An upper tube 26 has its upper end slidably received in the upper tubesleeve guide 21 so that it extends down to where its lower endterminates adjacent the knee portion 16 of the trousers leg and the kneeof the wearer when in its uppermost slid position. In the lower end ofthe upper tube 26 is an upper tube internal guide cylinder for aslidable knee lock cylinder pin 29 is to be dsecribed. Extendtransversely adjacent the upper end of upper tube 26 and rotatablymounted therein is a control pin 27 that projects out through thevertical slot 21a in sleeve guide 21.

Abutting the lower end of upper tube 26 is the upper end of a lower tube28 also having a guide cylinder 28a therein for the knee lock cylinderpin 29 slidable therein. Below the knee lock cylinder pin 29 is atension spring 30 also within lower tube 28 and it is attached to arubber tip 31 in the lower end of the tube 28 by an attachment 30a. Aflexible cable 32 is attached at its upper end 32a to the harnesssupport pin 23. The cable extends down through the upper tube 26 andthrough the lower tube 28, through an axial aperture 29a in knee lockcylinder pin 29 to where it attaches to the upper end of tension spring30 by a loop 32b. A lock or stop 33 attached to cable 32 at the upperend of knee lock pin 29 and a lock or stop 34 attached to cable 32 atthe lower end of knee lock pin 29 holds the pin 29 in a position oncable 32. The upper end of spring 30 can be directly attached to thelower end of knee lock pin 29 and the upper end of pin 29 can beattached to cable 32.

In operation, first the harness 40 is slipped on by the wearer and thenthe trousers 11. The elongated support 20 is slid through the opening 13on into the top of tubular pocket 12 in the trousers leg. The accessopening 14 when unzipped permits the fingers of the wearer to feed thesuspension strap 24 upwardly so that its upper end fastener 25 may beattached to a fastener 110 on the inside of the waist portion 11a on thetrousers. This suspends the elongated support 20 in the tubular pocket12 in the trousers leg.

When it is desired by the wearer to sit on the supports, the wearermoves each of the control pins 27 downward in its slot 21a thus movingthe upper tube 26 downward and it abuts and pushes down lower tube 28.The control pin 27 is locked in the slot 21b by the upper tube 26 towhich the pin 27 is made fast. The cable 32 is not moved and holds theknee locking pin 29 in its same position, see FIGS. and 6, while thespring 30 is stretched, see FIG. 6, as the lower tube 28 to which it isattached moves down. The knee joint lock pin 29 is now part way in eachof the abutting tubes 26 and 28 and makes a rigid joint. The weight ofthe wearer as he bends his knees and sits on seat support 41 istransferred through the harness to the tops of the elongated supports 20which engage the ground. To resume a walking attitude, the wearer standson his feet and removes the load on the elongated supports 20 and bymanipulating each control pin 27 from its locking slot 21b, the biasingspring 10 takes over and causes the tubes 28 and 26 to move up to theiroriginal position. Now the two tubes 28 and 26 may pivot with respect toeach other at their abutting ends as the knee lock pin is no longermaking a rigid joint.

There is through this arrangement of harness, trousers and the elongatedsupports provided a highly desirable and useful support for anindividual to temporarily transfer his weight to the ground by a devicecarried along and concealed.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination a garment including trousers for a wearer having apair of legs joining with waist and seat portions therein, each of thelegs having means therealong for receiving an elongated rod meansextending from adjacent the bottom of the leg to adjacent the waistportion, a flexible means detachably suspending the rod means from thewaist portion; a harness including a seat support for the seat of thewearer having means at each end detachably suspending it from the rodmeans at its upper end portion, said elongated rod means including anelongated upper tubular guide member having an elongated slot extendingfrom a position spaced from its upper end to a position spaced from thelower end of the tubular guide, a locking means connected with the lowerend of the slot, an upper tube having its upper end portion slidablyreceived within and extending downwardly from said upper tubular guidemember and having its lower end adjacent the knee portion of saidtrousers when in its uppermost postion, a control pin attached to theupper end portion of said upper tube and extending outwardly through andbeyond said slot for sliding said upper tube in its tubular guidemember, a lower tube extending from the bottom of the upper tube in itsupper position to where its lower end is adjacent the cuff portion ofthe trousers, an elongated knee lock pin slidable in the upper end ofthe lower tube, biasing means in said lower tube holding said knee lockpin retracted in the lower tube and a flexible cable connected with saidknee lock pin and passing up through said upper tube and the uppertubular guide member where it is attached to the guide member upper endportion thereby suspending the knee lock member at the upper end of thelower tube against the action of said biasing means, whereby said upperand lower tubes pivot at their abutting ends as said flexible cabletherewithin holds them together in a pivoting position, said upper tubebeing moved downward when said control pin is slid downward in said slotand positioned in said locking means whereupon said lower tube is pusheddown causing said biasing means to yield and the lower tube exposing theupper portion of the knee lock pin and the lower end of the upper tubeto move over the upper end of the knee lock pin making a rigid joint ata position below the knee portion of the trousers and the wearer and theweight of the wearer is transmitted from the seat support to the tops ofeach elongated rod means and through the rod means to the ground.

2. A garment combination according to claim 1 wherein said harnessincludes loops for each leg of the wearer to be received therethroughsuspended from the upper end portions of the seat support.

in said biasing means in the lower tube is a tension spring attached atits lower end to the lower end of said lower tube and at its upper endto the lower end of said knee lock member.

4. A garment combination according to claim 3 wherein said elongatedknee lock has an aperture extending throughout its length and receivessaid cable therein, said cable being attached at its lower end to saidtension spring, said cable having stop means thereon at each end of saidelongated knee lock pin to hold it positioned on said flexible cable.

5. A garment combination according to claim 1 where in the lower end ofthe upper tube and the upper end of the lower tube each have guidecylinders therein for receiving said elongated knee lock pin.

6. A garment combination according to claim 1 wherein said upper end rodmeans suspending the seat support ends of the harness is transverse pinattached to the upper end of said upper tubular guide member and havinga spool-like head at one end, said attachment means at each end of thesupport seat of the harness is a plate having means at its lower endattaching the end of the seat support and a key-hole slot thereabovewith the larger opening at the downward end and receivable over saidspool-like head on the transverse pin which slides upward into the upperend of the key-hole slot.

7. A garment combination according to claim 6 wherein said transversepin in the upper end of said upper tubular guide member is pivotallymounted therein and the spool-like head has a radially extendingelongated lock member which in its vertically rotated position isreceived in said key-hole slot with said spoollike head and then rotatedto a downwardly extending position to lock said spool-like head in thekey-slot.

8. A garment combination according to claim 1 wherein said flexiblemeans detachably suspending the rod means from the waist portion of thetrousers is a strap having detachable fastener means towards its upperend and said waist portion of the trousers has a cooperating fastenermeans on the inside thereof at each side for receiving said fastenermeans on the strap.

9. A garment combination according to claim 8 wherein said means alongthe trousers legs for receiving the elongated rod means is a verticallyextending tubular flexible member attached to the inside of the trousersleg at each side, said trousers have an elongated slot in each legthereof communicating with the upper portion of said tubular flexiblemember for insertion of the elongated rod means therethrough and saidtrousers legs have a closable hand access opening adjacent and below thewaist portion and the fastener means for the strap on the waist band foraccess to the strap to attach and detach the same.

10. An elongated support rod for insertion in a trousers leg forattachment at its upper end to a seat support harness means of a wearerof the trousers comprising an elongated upper tubular guide memberhaving an elongated slot extending from a position spaced from its upperend to a position spaced from the lower end of the tubular guide, alocking means connected with the lower end of the slot, an upper tubehaving its upper end portion slidably received within and extendingdownwardly from said upper tubular guide member and having its lower endadapted to be adjacent the knee portion of the trousers when in itsuppermost position, a control pin attached to the upper end portion ofsaid upper tube and extending outwardly through and beyond said slot forsliding said upper tube in its tubular guide member, a lower tubeextending from the bottom of the upper tube in its upper position towhere its lower end is adjacent the cuff portion of the trousers, anelongated knee lock pin slidable in the upper end of the lower tube, abiasing means in said lower tube holding said knee lock pin retracted inthe lower tube and a flexible cable connected with said knee lock pinand passing up through said upper tube and the upper tubular guidemember where it is attached to the guide member upper end portionthereby suspending the knee lock member at the upper end of the lowertube against the action of said biasing means, whereby said upper andlower tubes pivot at their abutting ends as said flexible cabletherewithin holds them together in a pivoting position, said upper tubebeing moved downwardly when said control pin is slid downward in saidslot and positioned in said locking means whereupon said lower tube ispushed down causing said biasing means to yield and the lower tubeexposing the upper portion of the knee lock pin and the lower end of theupper tube to move over the upper end of the knee lock pin making arigid joint.

11. An elongated support rod according to claim 10 wherein said biasingmeans in the lower tube is a tension spring attached at its lower end tothe lower end of said lower tube and at its upper end to the lower endof said knee lock member.

12. An elongated support rod according to claim 11 wherein saidelongated knee lock has an aperture extending throughout its length andreceives said 6311316 therein; said cable being attached at its lowerend to said tension spring, said cable having stop means thereon at eachend of said elongated knee lock pin to hold it positioned on saidflexible cable.

13. An elongated support rod according to claim 10 wherein the lower endof the upper tube and the upper end of the lower tube each have guidecylinders therein for receiving said elongated knee lock pin.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 671,638 4/ 1901 Slagle 297-4768,479 8/1904 Nash 297-4 1,574,529 2/ 1926 Abraham 2974 XR FOREIGNPATENTS 3,989 3/1892 Great Britain.

H. HAMPTON HUNTER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 297-4

